Antisiphonic ball cock



April 21, 1953 J. c. owENs ANTISIPHONIC BALL COCK Filed Aug. 11. 1947 Patented Apr. 21, 1953 UNITEDA STATES PATENT OFFICE" f' 2,635,622 ANTIsIrHoNIc BALL COCK JesseC.` Owens, Los Angeles, Calif. Application August 11, 1947, Serial No. 767,981

A 4 camas;k (cl. 137-218) vThis invention relates to valves of the type employed for controlling supply of water to areservoir, and more particularly to a lioat-actuated valve, or ball cock valve as it is known in the trade, for maintaining a supply of .water in a reservoir such as the iiushing tank commonly employed in connection with toilet iixtures.

An object of this invention is to provide an improvement in anti-Siphonic ball cocks, ire., an improved design for iioat-actuated valves capable of avoiding the danger of contaminating the freshwater supply by drawing water back into the supply pipe from the storage tank or from the toilet fixture associated therewith if and when the pressure Within the supply system fails tothe extent :that a partial vacuum develops therein.

The, present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 737,667, led March 27, 1947, and now Patent No. 2,491,131, granted December 13,1949. ,I

A more detailed object of the present invention in this connection is to provide an anti-Siphonic ball lcock having means for introducing airfrom the ambient atmosphere to the interior of the valve when the hydrostatic pressure therein is reduced to less than atmospheric pressure, and thereby positively preventing the development of vsiphonic conditions therein, which air-introducing means has additional means associated therewith for preventing escape of water from the valve.. through the air-introducing means, even in thev event that hydrostatic pressure within the valve increases to any lvalue greater than atmos-4 pheric pressure, thus making possible -therdischarge of water from the `valve and intothe storage .tank at pressure substantially equal to that prevailing within the supply `system and consequently at a much higher rate than is possible with anti-siphonic valves from whichjwater canbe permittedto discharge by gravity flow Another object of my present invention is to provide an anti-siphonic valve of the character described which is characterized by more nearlyv noiseless operation than those of more conven tional, design by virtue of its being capable of positively closing oii all communication between the interior of the valve andthe atmosphere whenever water is flowing through the valve from the supply line to the rvalves discharge outlet, thereby not only positively preventing air from being drawn into thev valve to mingle with* the water flowing therethrough yas the operation of relling the storage tank is being carried out, and thus avoiding the bubbling and gurgling sounds developed by other anti-siphonic valves when a. mixture of water and air bubbles Vflows through them, but also serving electively yto muille any hissing sounds which might accompany the ilow of water under pressure through the restricted space between the valve seat and its valve when in nearly closed relation thereto, A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved anti-siphonic ballcock of the character described, the design of which, though highly efcient, dependable, and durable, is unusually compact and correspondingly eco.- nomical in Vproduction due to the fact that the means for closing off the air inlet openings are operated by the Water in flowing through `the valve housing, thus avoiding the necessity of providing mechanical operating means therefor,and also due to the fact that both the air-inlet closing means and the water flow controlvalve are both mounted within a common chamber withA the former guided upon the stem ofthe latter.- u The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my inventionwhich isillustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood'that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred forms ywithin the scope of-my invention asset forth in the claims. Certain details of the ball cock of the present invention are disclosed in my co-pending appli. cation, Serial No. 737,667, i'lled March 27,1947, now Patent No. 2,491,131, granted December ,13, 1949, of which the subject' matter of the presantisiphonic ball cock of Figure V1.

Figure Bois a transverse, medial, vertical sec` tional view .taken upon the line 3'-3 of Figure -2,

' with the direction of v iew as indicated...

Figure 4 is a detail View drawn to more highly enlarged scalein vertical section, the plane of which is indicatedk by `the line 4--4 of Figure 3,Y

and the, direction" ofY view by ths arrows.

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of a slightly modified form of ball .cock incorporating the principles ofthe present invention. Y

Referring iirst to that Yn'iodiiication vof the rurai-Z ent invention which is illustrated in Figures l. to 4, inclusive, the housing B of my improved anti-Siphonic ball cock comprises a body portion 'I and a cap portion 8 which preferably is removable from the body portion 1 and is adapted to be detachably secured thereto as by a plurality of screws 9 extending through clearance holes in lugs ll extending radially outwards from the peripheral edge of the cap 8 to be received within tapped holes in properly aligned lugs (not shown) on the body portion 1. A gasket i2 of suitable resilient material is interposed between the cap 8 and the body portion 'l to deilne a :duid-tight seal therebetween.

A chamber l6'is defined within the housing E. This chamber is of a compound nature, being dened by the hollow interior l1 of the domeshaped cap 8 and a recess I8, the upper end of wiiioh is iii communication with the eeps hollow interior .Il ered wbieli. estende downwards thereiioiii within the body portieri l., The Chamber lli also includes e substantially eRouler oiienoel le .toured in. the dorer serieee of the body oortion l. so that .it oommuriioetes with the.' cers hollow interior li- The .channel I9 is disposed in cgi-axial relationship with the recess |18, the upper end ci which it surrounds and from which it' is seperated by eil upwardly extendingannuler shoulder' or ridge 2l, the upper edge of which is preferably substantially in planar alignment with the remainder of the top suriace of the body portion l of the housing t.

The ball cock is'intended to be mounted within a reservoir so as to control the supplyof water thereto. Figure l illustrates such an installation more or less diagrammatically, the reservoir bein g the form of a conventional toilet fixture ilu'shing tank 26. The ball cock housing il is mounted within the tank 26, being supported upon the upper end of the water supply pipe 2 which extends upwardly through the bottom of the tank 26 -to receive the housing upon its threaded upper end 28.Y The opening 2S in the bottom of the housings bodyA portion 'l into which the end 28 of the water supply line 2! is threaded opens into the bottom of the recess I8, with the result that water under pressure is supplied to the chamber IE, preferably through a ferrule 3l also threaded into theV opening 29 above the end 28 of the supply pipe 21. This ferrule 3l is provided witha relatively restricted orifice 3 2 surrounded by an annular valve seat 33 which is preferably elevated above the bottom of the recess i8, through which the, ferrule .3l extends so, as to make it possible. for a resilient valve insert. 34. .oer-riool by e valve. stein et there; above to engage the seat 33 without interference.

The valve stem 36 .is disposed oli-axial. alleewitli the valve seat 33 and is. ieoirirooably mounted within e eeiitrally located boss.' 3i prof vided. et. the top of the housings, oep tf More: over.. the ,stem te extends through, the. boss 3l so es. to enable extension 38, oily the upper end of the stem 36 to. engage 3f Substantially herir. rental lever 39 disposed above the housing 6.

1.11, the modiieetioii of my invention presently being discussed, the lever 39 ils riveted, e point spaced at one side, oi the stem. te upon a sup- Dort' .e bracket. .4l rigid with the. een 8 of the housing t, Whereas.. the opposite end off. the lever 39 is riveted to the lower end oi e liek 4.2;, the tiene? end. of whirl@ is riveted to one of et rod it which, in turn', is. riveted to another bracket 44 et the.. minimum practical, distance from the link .42- The other end of the rod 43 is much longer than that to which the link d2 is connected, and carries a ioat dll which operates in the well-known manner to raise and lower the outer end of the rod d3 in response to corresponding variations in the level of the water stored within the tank 25. It is apparent, therefore, that when the oat dll assumes a lower position in response to lowering of the Water level within the tank 2E, the lever 3e will swing upwardly, resulting in raising the valve stem 36 and its valve insert 3d and thus permitting water to low into the chamber i from the supply line 2l. Inasrnuch as it is desirable at times to limit the rate at which water is permitted to :Elow from the supply line l, I have provided an extension 5i of the lever 39 beyond the bracket ll upon which it is pivotally mounted. The extension 5l carries an adjusting screw 5E extending preferably through a boss 53 on the end oi the. levers. erteiieloo 5i eedx also ereierelolv, provided with et look mit 5t The lower end el che screw 52 is adapted to engage a suitable abutment 55 provided onv the upper surface of the housings cap 8 and thereby limit the distance that the lever 39 can swing vupwardly about the airis of 4its pivotal connection to the bracket 4|", and correspondingly limit the distance that the valve insert 34 can 'rise off its salve seat 33.

c Figure 5 illustrates a slightly modied form of ball cucl;A incorporating the principles of the present invention which is`the same as that of Figures l to (l, inclusive, except that it includes a diierent type of Valve opening means. The housings cap @"carries a single upwardly extending bracket 4 4 and the lever 39i which actuates the valve stem 3S is pivoted to this bracket 44. The outer engl o f the lever 39'l is provided with a socket Bl luto which the rod 43" of the oat (not shown) is threaded, inasmuch as the bracket 44* is closely adjacent the valve stein 38', that end of the lever 3 3 which engages the valve stern 36l is of minimum length, thus developing ample mechanical advantage to enable the iloat to rotate the lever 33- about the axis of its pivotal support and forces the valve stem 36" downwardly against its valve seat (not shown) with ample force to insure against leakage of water from the supply pipe 27 into the housing- 5. In this instance, also, the valve-actuating lever 39 is provided with an adejusting screw 52' threaded through the lever 39 and adapted to engage a suitable abutment 56' on the housings cap 8 when the valve stem 35 has risen to its maximum desirable height,

Beter-ringL again toFigure 3, which shows the interior construction of both illustrated modifie cations, it will be observed that the recess I8 which constitutes a portion of the vball cocks interior chamber l5 is defined by an upwardly haring wall B6y terminating at its upper edge in the shoulder or ridge V2l which, as mentioned hereinabove, separates the annular channel I9 from the recess |8. Preferably a plurality of valve disks B1, E8, S9 are slidably mounted upon the valve stem 36 within the upper portion l1 of the chamber IE5.V The uppermost of these disks, i. e., the disk 6l, is composed of suitable ilexible material, preferably resilient, such as sheet rubb er, as i's"also the'lcwerrncst, i. e., the disk 68, whereas the intermediate. disk @t is Preferably' of. suitable non-corrosive,` relatively rigid material, suoli` as sheet brass. These three disks 67, 68, and Q9 are of gradually lesser diameter in the order rieiiiedfj i-L e-l the smallest disk 't9 is located. et the bottoni: Vlts. die-meter, beweren is suiiieiently greater than that of the ridge 2i to enable the ridge 2l to support all three disks El, 68, and S9 when they are at their lowest extreme' of Imovement, as'l illustrated in Figure 3. Ihe function of the disks 61,A 68 and 69 is to close air inlet 'openings 1'I,*a plurality of which are provided in the cap 8 leading from the ambient atmosphere to the interiorof the chamber I6; 'The disks* so function, however, only when they Aare raised from that position in which they areV illustrated in Figure 3.; lSuch raising of the disks is effectedr by water flowing upwardly from the' recess 'I8 and over the upper edge Aof vthe ridge 2| as is nec' essary for the water to' escape from the' recess I8 into the other portions ofthe chamber I6.

Preferablythe inlet openings are disposed in a circle concentric with the opening in the cap 8 through Vwhich the valve' stem 36 extends. The openings 1I are spaced radially outwards 'from the valve stern V36 a distance greater than theA radius of the openings in the discs 61, 68, and 69, through whichl the Valve stem 36 extends, so that when the upper disc 61 is pressed against'the under surface of the cap 8, it engages that surface inanarea-of contact completely encirclingeach ofv the openings 1I,A thus not onlyVmaking for eiciency of the seal established by such contact, but also minimizing any tendency toward trusion of 'an edge of thev disc in'toand through any one or more of the openings 1I. Another detail of importance Varises outof the lresiliently exible characteristic'of the upper vvalve disc 61, inasmuch as this flexibility permits the disc to conform itself to the substantially dome-shaped undersurface of the cap 8 when pressed upwardly thereagainst by internal water pressure. BeingV possessed of an inherent degree of resiliency, when the water'pressure is relieved, the disc 61V will tend -to resume its fiat configuration, thereby assuring its moving back away from the under surface of the cap 8 and positively uncovering the openings11l to assure freedom of entrance of air to relieve-any siphonic conditionswhich might subsequently develop.

IAfter 'water has thus passed from the recess I8, itescapes-from the housing to the interior of the tank through an outlet opening 16 leading Vdownwardly from the'channel I9 to thevbottom/of the housing 6 where a tapped hole 1'1 permits a delivery tube 18 to be secured in communication with the outlet'opening 16. Preferably the upper end of the outlet opening 16 `is encircled by a l boss 19 upstanding from the bottom of the channel I9-and having aplurality of downwardly inclined openings 8l establishing communication between the channel I9 and the outlet opening 16. This arrangement has been found toenhance the ability of the ball cock to deliver water to the storage tank 26 with a minimum of noise.

If desired, an auxiliary delivery tube 86 communicates by a passage 81 with the side of the chamber I6 vbut at an elevation above that at which the opening 16 enters. For this purpose, the passage 81 is formed in a lateral extension 88 of the cap 8.

Still another delivery tube 89 communicates with the chamber I6, preferably also the upper portion thereof, this tube 89 being smaller than the other two and serving as a rell tube to supply water directly to the toilet fixture after the flushing operation has been completed and while the storage tank 26 is being refilled, thus assuring that the fixtures trap will be properly lled.

When the valve stem 35 is raised as theresult of lowering the iioat 44, the valve insert 34 will be lifted from its seat 33, thus permitting water under pressure to be ejected from the supply line 21 into the recess I8. In order to escape from the recess I8, the water must rise therein andow over the ridge 2l, and in doing so it raises the disks 61, 68, and 69. In normal operation the water flows at such velocity that the disks are raised to the' limit of their upward movement. with the result that they efiectually close the air openings 1| and thus prevent the escape of water from the housing 5 by any means other than the outlet tubes 18, 86, and 89, even though the water within the housing is at sufficient hydrostatic pressure to cause the waterto flow through these tubes at considerable velocity. y 1 I However, when the valve insert 34 is pressed 'onto its seat 33, water will cease to flow from the inlet tube 21, with the result that the disks will fall by gravityr back to those positions thereofillustrated in Figure 3, thereby effectually re-establishing communication between the ambient. atmosphere and the interior of the housing 6; ThisV assures the maintenance of atmospheric: pressure within the chamber Ill and positively prevents the development of the partial vacuum which would be required were any siphonic conditions to develop.

An auxiliary disk 8|, slightly smaller in shameter than vthe upper'portion of the recess I8, is slidably mounted upon the stem 36 above the head S2 at the stems lower end within which the valve insert 34 is mounted. Upward movement of the disk QI, which preferably is composed of suitable resiliently flexible material such as rubber, is limited by a shoulder or outwardly projecting flange @3, whereas downward motion of the outer peripheral edge of the disk SI is limited by an annular flange or shoulder 94 projecting inwardly from the interior surface of the housing defining the recess I8'. 'Being' limited in its 'upward movement by the flange Q3, the disk SI operates', when the valve insert 34'israised off itsvalve seat and water is flowing upwardly through the recess, to conne the water'to anannular upwardly diverging cone ladjacent to the walisi'of the recess so that as' it enters the upper portion of thefchamber it impinges against and raises the upper disks S1,r 68, 69 into'that position in which' they close-the air inlet'openingsA 1I. The'valve4 disk 9! may,`however, be omitted as the configuration at'the bottom of therecess tends t divertA the water into a cone which normally follows the: walls ofthe recess. Itis believed 'that in some conditions of pressure'at the'inlet'port the valve disk tends to quiet the sound of the valve. This is not always true, however, as in many cases, the diiference in sound with use of the disk and without use of the disk, cannot readily be detected. It has been found that the metal disk 68 may be omitted and the upper disk 61 may be imperforate, that is, the holes in the disk 61 may be eliminated without appreciably affecting the operation of the valve.

I claim:

1. A ball cock for controlling supply of water to a toilet flushing tank, comprising a housing having a chamber therein and a recess in the bottom of said housing defining a downward eX- Vtension of said chamber, a valve seat adjacent the bottom of s'aid recess and encircling an inlet port opening into said recess, a valve stem extending slidably through the top of said housing above said opening, a valve head mounted on the lower end of said stem, means for lowering Ysaid stem and thereby pressing said valve head onto said seat, the top of said housing having an air inlet opening therein, a valve disk slidably mounted on said stern in. position to be engaged by water flowing upwards within said chamber and to be earried thereby into closing relation with said air inlet opening, a smaller valve disk slidably mounted on said stern below said rstmentioned valve disk and within said recess, and means limiting upward movement ci said smaller valve disk and thereby retaining said smaller disk within said recess, said smaller disk` beine adapted to confine the water to an annular upward flow adjacent to the walls of said recess.

2. A n alntlY-siphonic ball cock, involving: a housing structure dening a shallow silencing chamber of relatively large diameter. a central axially extending downwardly conversing recess substantially smaller in diameter than. said chamber in the bottorn wall thereof2 an annular water channel in said chamber and around said recess. and a ring oi axially directed anti-alphen ports in the opposite wall of said oharnoer; an inlet port within said recess., an outlet port in said annular water channel at one side of said recessvand directed downwardly parallel to said inlet port; a valve stem extending from said hours.V ing structure, within said ring of amie-'Siphon ports; a valve head at the inner end of said stern engageable. with said inlet port and in its open position spaced from the inner walls or" said recess to form an annular space therebetween; a, disk means sldably mounted on said valve stem within said chamber to cover said anti`V` slphon oorts in one position and said recess in another position, said valve head and recess tending to deflect liquid from said inlet port into an upwardly diversifie stream against said dislr means and said dislr ineens tending to redellect said. stream downwardly a further divergins annular stream. irnplngins in said annular water channel surroundingv said recess. the reaction or said stream tending to seal said disk means over said anti-siphon ports.

3. antiesiphonio ball cock involving: a housing structure including an upper and a lower portion having confronting shallow cavities forming a silencing chamber; the lower portion having a central recess. an axially directed inlet port in said recess, said, recess being imperforate except f or said inlet port, an annular water channel in said chamber and. surrounding said recess,V and a downwardly directed outlet port in ,said annular water channel at one side or Said recess: the upper portion of Said housing structure having a central axially directed guideloore alignment with said inlet barbaridad. ring of anti-siphon ports around-said guide'bore;. a valve stem slidable in said guide bore equipped with a valve headv engageable with said inlet port; a seal disk means loosely slidable on said valve stem between a position sealing said anti-Siphon ports and a position sealing-I said recess; said valve head and recess tendine:4 to dellectincoming water into a divers-ing conical upward stream impinging on said portions of,- said housing structure, said portions redirectingl thel Water in a continuingly diver-ging downward stream. Y

4. An anti-Siphonic ball cock, involving; a housing structure defining a. shallow chamber oi relatively large diameter having upper and lower walls, a central recess in the lower wall or said chamber, a primary valve seat at the' bottom of said recess, asecondary valve seat at the rim of said recess, an annular water channel in said chamber and surrounding said rim, a downwardly directed outlet port in said annular water channel, and a ring of axially directed anti-siphon ports piercing the upper wall of said chamber; a valve stem slidably mounted in said housing structure and protruding therefrom within said ring of antiesiphon ports; a valve head at the inner end of said valve stem ensageable with said primary valve seat; a noa-ting seal means slidably mounted on said stern. movable between said antiesiphon ports and said secondary valve seat independ ently of movement of said valve stem; and floatoperated means for forcing said valve head t close said primary valve seat port.

JESSEVC. ovvieirs.l 

